Chain construction



W. l. TU TTLE.

Feb. 20, .1923.

M 9 5 m f 7 .5 v M u Ey n N. 0 l u ,C l ..U l Dn 2 T 1 s V.. N A 0 M C D N u.. M. n H C 4 TTOHNEYS Feb. 20, 1923. 4

` W. l. TUTTLE.

CHAIN CONSTRUCTION.

FILED MAY l2, 1921- Z SHE 'S-SHEET 2.

'Figure 3a' Iis, a sectional view ,WALTER I.A TUTTLE, lor rriovTnENCE. RHODE' rsLANn, AssIGNoiif-To' FRANK Mossnunsv ,y CoiviPnNv,v or ATTLEBoRo, MASSACHUSETTS, A ConioiaA'rIoN or nHonnIsnANn.

' [teas CHAIN CONSTRUCTION." i`

f applicati@ sied May 12,1921. serial No. 468,317. i v

To 'all'wvom t may cow/cem.' f

Be it known that I, l/VALTER I. TUTTLE, a, Citizenfot the UnitedStates, and a resident loi Providence, in they county'of Providence' and State of Rhode Island, haveinvented an/ Improvement in. Chain (Constructions, of which the following' is a specification. v

,This invention relates to chain construction and Vwith regard to certain morespeciiic features thereof to detachable links. One ot the objects'thereof is toprovi'de a construction of the above nature Which will be strong and durable and yet simple 'and inexpensive. Anotherobject is to provide apparatus of the above nature in which `the members are readily taken apart or assembled andV yet securely held in assembled relation, Another object is to provide a detachable link of simple and practical construction and thoroughly eicient and dependable action'.

Otherobjects Will be in part obvious and in part pointed out'hereinafter. y 1

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,y combinations of elements and arrangement of parts which tachably connected` with the eyes 12 by' links ings in which is shown one oivarious possibley embodiments of this invention,

Figure, 1 is a sectional elevation of the outer port-ion ofa Wheel with the chain ap'- `paratus mounted in position thereon, e Figure 2 is a plan of a link; y

, 'Figure 3 is an'edgevievv of the linkshow'n inFigure2;y f of a' modiedconstruction; and 4 Figure4 is an end view of thesame link, and related parts ,on the line 4-4L of Figure 1. i

Similar referencel characters referto similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings. f 1

Referring now toFiUure 1 of the draW- ings, there is shown at 1 the spoke of'a Wheel which may be that of a motor vehicle and which' terminates at its outer end With t-he felloe 2. Secured in any desired manner to v tire 4. y

Mounted upon the inner side of the wheel l ordinary chain 13 Which may be being disclosed more clearl is asupporting device andy it may'liere be notecbthat bythe term'fvinner is'meant a .directiontovvard the hub ofthe Wheeh vThe device v-.comprises a'pair otsubstantially identicalmembers' gpeaoh of Which has 'a sleeve portion 7 and a ygripping portion 8. The sleeve portions are adapted to ybe `brought in valignment as 'shovv'n inthe draw@l ings, and held together by the bolt 9 and'nutf` 1 0. The outer or gripping'partscomprise spurs 11 -adapted -to'bite intothe surface of the Wheel andeyes 12 which extendin' adirection away from thefelloe Upon the tightening ofthe nut 10 itvvill ii be seen that the members arendrawn into/ interlocking relationfivith the telloe 2 and there are provided a pair of securely mounted eyes 12 to Whichfthe chain may be remov? ably attached. 'A Referring now to Whatmay be considered the chain proper, although in a' sense theentire apparatus forms a chain device, litmay be noted that there is provided a sectionot l ofthe usual twisted link construction.v This ehainis de- 14 as shown in Figure 1 of the drawings,

these links which are substantially'identieal i y in'Figures 2te l inclusive of the drawings'. Y

Referring now lto the latter tigure's,ftlie links comprise sideA portions" 15- connected( by an integral end portio'ngl@ provided with va 'pair' of overlappingfportions 1'7-"at theop-l posite end. These overlapping portionsfare preferably ilattenedras'shown with. respect to thebodvv of the" link and arevv provided with oppositely directed ends `18 bent 'subi Stantiallyat right Aangles thereto'- 'as best shown in Figui'e of the`drawings. y The ends k18 are carried outwardly -to such an l extent that when the parts lare in assembled vrelation as shown in AFigure 1 of the ydraw-l ings` they cannotrapproach a common plane and thus permit the link tobef pulled open. Une ot thesev ends engages the part 12 and ico the other "is jammed against the base of the l part S, and ivith the link held by the chain 1.3 in the position shown in Figure 1 the end portions 17g and 18 are thus locked` against relative sliding movement. 'fhoivever it isdesired to remove vthe chain, vthe .link 14 is simply swung up into arposition v substantially parallel With the bolt 9 either by removing the part 7 or otherwise, lvvhereupon the flattened portions l? and i8 may be sprung` apart to permit them to pass out of interlockingrelation with the eye l2. The parts may be reassembled. in a similar manne/I'.

In the construction shown in Figure 3, the wheel, rim and tire are the same as in the construction above described and the general arrangement of the supporting device with its cross bolt is also like that first described, except as hereinafter pointed out. The depending,` portions embracing the part v2 are each formed with a pair of ears 19 and are identical on opposite sides of the wheel. Through registering;` holes in these ears are passed headed pins 20, the unheaded ends of which are Vheld in position. by vexternal cotter pins 2l. ',lhese pins 20 serve to hold in position the end links of an ordinary tire chain 22.

By this construction the `chain may be throughout of a uniform character and yet may readily be released by withdrawal of one of the cotter pins 2l :and the corresponding; holding pin 20.

lt will thus be seen that in the action of the device when the chain is in posi-tion as shown in Figure l of the drawings, the link la is positively locked against separation from the eye 12, however severe the strain may be on the parts. lf however it is desired to remove or replace a chain, this is readily accomplished as above set forth. As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention and as various changes might be made in the enibodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting;

sense.

l claim as my invention l. In chain construction, in combination, a wheel felloe, a device secured to said felloe, across chain having at its lends a pair of links, each of said links having overlapping end portions respectively adapted to be sprung apart to make detachable connection with the adjacent end of said device, and means associated with said' links adapted to coact with said ends of said device to prevent relative sliding of said overlapping end portions.

V2. In chain construction, in combination, a wheel, a device secured thereto and forining' an eye, and a chain havingr a link pro vided with overlapping portions adapted to be sprung` apart to `permit the same to be inter-linked with said eye, each of said overlapping,` portions having),` abruptlyv bent ends tending to interlock with said eye and prevent relative sliding of said overlapping portions.

3. ln chain construction, in combination, a wheel, a roacl-gripping member positioned transversely of the tread thereof, a link secured to each end of said road-gripping member, each of said links having at one end overlapping' portions, each of said overlapping portions being provided with a bend abruptly turned with respect thereto, and means-positioned on said wheel adapted to cooperate with said links to secure said road-gripping member in position and with said bent portions thereof to prevent relative slidingof said overlapping portions.

' it. lnchain construction, in combination, a wheel, a road-,gripping member positioned transversely of the tread thereof, a link secured to each end of said road-gripping; member, each of said links being' provided with a pair of4 overlapping portions relatively flattened in cross-section with respect to the body of the link and each havingan end turned in a direction transverse tothe plane of the link, and means positioned upon said wheel forming` a pair of eyes adapted to receive said links to secure said road-gripping memberk in position andy to cooperate with said turned ends thereof to prevent relative sliding of said *overlapping portions. y

5. ln chain construction,y in combination, a wheel, a device secured thereto and forming an eye, and a chain having a link at one end thereof provided with a pair of overlapping portions adapted to be spr-une` apart to permit the saine to be interlifnked with said eye., said overlapping` `portions respectively terminating in abruptly bent ends spaced one from another at` a distance less than that between the side portions of the link, said bent ends tending to Ainterlock with said eye and prevent relative sliding of said overlapping; portions.

ln 'testimony whereof, l have signed my name to this specification this 3d day of May, 1.921.

WALTER I. TUTTLE. 

